Things that could be...

[Rlaney]

I've been playin around and modding thinks in gold for a couple days now and it seems to me that there are a few tweaks that could make this game perfect. Look at resources. How much organics and radioactives does anyone actually use? Population should be dependant on organics and possibly resupply ability on radioactives. Not enough Organics? Population starts dying on some planets. Same with rads... ships dead in space for want of supplies. Look at the planetary weapons. Anybody ever seen the Resupply Depot bombs used? The Spaceport bombs? These things are there but not really used to any extent.(especially by the AI) Only other thing I think the game really needs is an improved AI. I love the game but the ai seems kinda dumb. The Terrans were bigger than me so I started using Intel to steal their ships, got maybe twenty and they still felt brotherly toward me right up to the time I started knocking off their planets. I'd also like to see the AI actually try to invade planets rather than just glassing them. Planets are seriously underpowered as it is. I've dropped research and intel points for facilities, added monstrous planetary shields to make planets more difficult to kill (wish I could make them built in but..) and added some expanded ships and techs to support them. (destroyer tech and class II and III destroyers, class III is same size as light cruiser but cheaper and requires new tech.) Unfortunately the AI doesn't seem to use any of it. This is my wish list for SEV. Leave the game itself alone, just make the AI better and get it to use some of the cool things already there. That would be perfect.

[Phoenix-D]

"Unfortunately the AI doesn't seem to use any of it. "

For most things, that can be fixed:

New ship sizes: the AI will pick the largest ship that works. So for an improved hull, just make it a little (10kt) bigger. EDIT: oh, and you have the tell the AI to research any new tech areas, as well.

Built-in planet shields: just give the ability to all the facilities.

Resupply needing radioactives: make bases cost a LOT of radioactives, then remove resupply depots. Only way to reupply is by fleeting with a base.. but the base costs you lots o radioactives.

Some AIs do invade planets, and I've heard that has been improved for Gold.

Phoenix-D

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

[Rlaney]

Now THAT I like!! Build the shields into the facilities... NEVER even occurred to me! DAMN! thank you Pheonix. Now that you mention it I don't think I told the ai about the new techs at all. Heres the breakdown kinda...

ship Cost Size
Escort 600 100
EscortII 600 150
EscortIII 600 200
Frigate 800 200
etc...
etc...

Added some new abilities to the new classes too so a class 3 is one hull size bigger effectively but cheaper to build and with some improvements. i.e. +1 combat speed... +10% defense...

But also takes 2 more tech levels to build.

As for the radioactives thing yeah I guess that would be one way to do it... make the maintenace cost higher so more are used but then if you run out things get scrapped and thats not cool. Look at the Russian Navy in the mid-late 90s, not scrapped but hurting for supplies. Oh well. Thak you VERY much for the shield idea. I'll try it tonight. Now if you can find me a way to put some low level guns on the facilities you'll be a God to me...

[ 10 March 2002: Message edited by: Rlaney ]

[Rlaney]

heres the first try...

Ability 1 Type := Phased Shield Generation
Ability 1 Descr := Generates 1000 pts of phased shielding for the planet during combat.
Ability 1 Val 1 := 1000
Ability 1 Val 2 := 0
Ability 2 Type := Combat To Hit Defense Plus
Ability 2 Descr := Planetary Defenses give a 1% chance to stop incoming weapons completely.
Ability 2 Val 1 := 1
Ability 2 Val 2 := 0


This would be a level 1 facility. 2000 and 2% for level 2 etc.. Better infrastructure on a planet would mean more defenses. A planet with 5 level one structures would have 5000 shield points. I really can't thank you enough Pheonix. The simplest solution and it never even crossed my mind.

[Phoenix-D]

Can't put weapons on facilties, sorry.

Also, be aware that vehicle sizes do not have an obselete setting.. any size researched is going to show up all the time from then on. I dropped the number of improvements to 1 in Techmod because of this.

Phoenix-D